The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-01-12
fore you over in the court.


the law but the voice of the people?
and when the peoples voice wont
work it's their business to turn out and
tend to things with their hands. They
was out last night!n and Absalom got
up and walked about in his exultfng
bitterness.
John Earring stood still with his
hand on the door-knob following him
with his eyes. Absalom wheeled about
and came up to him, and laid his big
hand ON the young mans shoulder in
a tender, half-bashful, agitated way.
Couldn't help it, law or no law" he
said. ''Me and HIM couldn't sleep in
the same world no longer together it
amt big enough! Ever since that
mornin' we pulled the miss out Of the
river he's been crowdin' me, crowdin'
me! ] know what he done; he more n
killed her! l seen and knoWed more'n
(; told at the trial, and so did you. He
done you awful wrong, kid; more n
most folks knows, l guess, and
still you tried to save the whelp's
pelt for the law. It's like you,
but | couldn't stand his crowd.
in; l know what he done to
you and couldn't stand it! | used to
nuss you when you wus a baby, kid,
and follered you out from Ohier be-
cause-because-I was afeard some
thin might harm you, and though l
don't see you very often, or ever say
much, that yoke of boys of mine over
on the hill yonder amt no higher to
me than you are. and couldn't stand
his crowdin'. i knowed your mother,
kid; she was kind of angel-woman;
!! liked her better than my own mother,
mean as it sounds to say it, and l
couldn't stand his crowdin' any
longer!"
A mist was in Absalom's eyes as he
jerked these sentences, and with the
last word he dropped John Earnings
hand and shot out of the door and
went away through the storm toward
the mill, being quite spent with such,
for him, lingual prodigality.
A mist was in the young mans eyes,
too, as he went to the window and
looked out. The lifelong love of the
brave. bashful, bungling Absalom
seemed very sweet thing to him in
his loneliness.
That afternoon the storm lulled. and
when darkness gathered in the streets
Of Openstone the tempest fetched only
an occasional sob. When the sun
came up again it seemed very far to
the east of Openstone, so still and
lucent was the air and so broad backed
and definite seemed the world in its
glistening coat of snow. At about
eleven O'Clock the morning passenger
train came creaking into Openstone,
preceded by big snow-plow, which,
like some enormous, whitc-wlnged ami
NAL, came cleaving through the drifts
and whirling the cleaning mass from
its mighty shares fifty feet to right and
! left. Then additional gangs of men
were added to the sect on force to
shovel the snow from the buried rails,
and John Earring was on the train
that rolled out of Openstone that after
noon, going in search of Ivyl Snaer.
In the morning he had gone to bid the
old lawyer goodbye, and found him
propped up in big chair before a
roaring fire in the CRATE under the elk S
head. "Snum!' exclaimed the old
man, grasping John Earnings hand
with his trembling crumpled fists, 1.-THE
right thing happened in a hurry this
| time"
John Earling shook his head dep
recatingly.
Hard, but right; l wonder what
Joel thinks now?' said the old lawyer.
John Earring shut his lips tight and
shook his head again. He did not
wish to touch the Subject; the whole
bitter, terrible theme was like night
mare to him. 81 am going away for
awhile" he said, land l came to say
goodbye
The old man put ont his trembling
hand at once and whispered: Good
bye!' and closed his eyes, holding fast
to John Earrings hand. After mo-
ment he whispered again: GOD bless
you; you have worked hard all your
life, and you ought to go away from
here awhile and rest | know you'll
60 right, and do right. | used to jeer
some at your honesty, but [ know
you'll win. If don't wait for you to
come back you'll find | didn't forget
you. Snum! snum! I'll not forget
your and the old lawyer rolled his
head from side to side with tears slip
ping from under his closed eyelids
John Earlings heart melted for the
lonely, helpless old man, and he put
his arms about his neck and kissed his
great forehead, and said, huskily: You
have been very good to me, sir: / shall
be grateful as long as live. Keep a
cheerful heart, you will be better in
the spring, and hope we shall see
each other then again.
The old man pressed his hand silent
ly, and he went away to prepare for
his journey. In the afternoon Judge
Bower walked with him to the depot,
talking of business then under way
and OF future partnership. John
Earrings first effort had given him
local fame, and Judge Bower wished
to employ his fresh young head in
connection with his practice, but the
young man wished to be free awhile
that he might go back to the place where
his life began and look into the mist
that covered it, and he said he
would consider the judges kind pro.
posal when he returned On his way
to the train he stopped at one of the
banks aud drew out five hundred dol
lars OF his money, and farther down
the street he met Yeslit Popp and Harry
driving in cutter. Yeslit held her
nose very high and did not recognize
him. Harry nodded, coldly. They and
Others, who had made a flowery cage
for the jail-bird, felt very hardly used
IN the treatment melted out to their NET